The Deepest Thing Inside

Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.

–from Kindness, by Naomi Shihab Nye

This week, I have been overwhelmed as I’ve watched and experienced our democracy in action. I have never been a particularly political person and, except for the year I lived overseas, I have never really appreciated or acknowledged what being an American means to me. Very quickly and very clearly, though, I am now recognizing what is at stake.

Instead of hiding behind fear and confusion, I am learning to lean in: I am asking questions when I don’t understand; I am engaging in honest, open dialogue with everyone, even those who disagree; I am marching for what I believe in; I am trying to avoid hyperbole; and always, I side with what is kind and just. I respect others who do the same.

With this focus in mind, I am ready to launch my second shawl auction. For this auction, all proceeds of the winning bid will go to the ACLU. I am also committing to matching the winning bid with my own donation to the ACLU up to $200 (but, of course, I’m open to bidding going higher…). 🙂

This shawl really is one of my very favorite shawls I’ve ever knit. It is the Amulet Shawl, by Helen Stewart. It is knit out of Madelinetosh Merino Light, a 100% merino wool, and I used gold glass beads. It is easy to wear, just the right size, and has lovely drape and just the right amount of lace. It would look equally lovely draped around your shoulders or accenting a favorite armchair.

Please feel free to share this post with anyone and everyone, because the higher the bidding goes, the more impact this one beautiful shawl can have.

  • The opening bid starts at $50 and begins NOW.
  • Please bid in whole dollar amounts.
  • All bids need to be within the comment thread of this blog post in order for everyone to keep track of the highest bid.
  • I will close the auction at 6:00 PM MST on Friday, February 3rd.
  • When the auction is over, I will send the winner an email; the winner must donate directly to the ACLU within 48 hours and then forward the confirmation email to me as proof; I’ll coordinate getting the shawl to you by February 14th.
  • If the winner lives away, I will cover the cost of shipping the shawl via Priority Mail.

Here’s hoping this idea takes flight… Much love to all of you…and happy bidding!


The lovely Maria, in her new Jujuy Shawl:

25 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.